Research Interests

My group seeks to discover new medicines for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism based on discoveries in genetics. These two disorders frequently occur together and cause numerous problems for patients and their families. We need new medicines for these disorders because the ones we use now are only partially effective or cannot be used widely because they cause other problems. Importantly, no medicines can currently cure or prevent these disorders. The Faraone Lab searches for genes that cause ADHD and autism and figures out how these genes differ from genes in other children. We then study how these genes work together with networks of other genes in brain cells. By learning how defects in risk genes for ADHD and autism disturb the functioning of these networks, we find new targets for medicines.

HealthLinkOnAir Radio Interview

Web Resources

Publications

Link to PubMed (Opens new window. Close the PubMed window to return to this page.)

Research Abstract

Stephen Faraone, PhD (CV), is a Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience & Physiology at SUNY Upstate Medical University and Director of Medical Genetics Research for the University. He is also Senior Scientific Advisor to the Research Program Pediatric Psychopharmacology at the Massachusetts General Hospital and a lecturer at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Faraone studies the nature and causes of mental disorders in childhood and has made contributions to research in psychiatric genetics, psychopharmacology, diagnostic issues and methodology.

An author on over 700 journal articles, editorials, chapters and books, he was the eighth highest producer of High Impact Papers in Psychiatry from 1990 to 1999 as determined by the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI, Science, 2000, Vol 288, pg 959). In 2005, ISI determined him to be the second highest cited author in the area of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (http://www.esi-topics.com/add/interviews/StephenFaraone.html) and in 2007 he was the third most highly cited researcher in psychiatry (http://in-cites.com/top/2005/first05-psy.html) for the preceding decade.

Dr. Faraone is Editor for the journal Neuropsychiatric Genetics. He is also Deputy Editor for the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Biostatistical and Methodology Editor for the Journal of Attention Disorders and Associate Editor for Behavioral and Brain Functions. He sits on the Editorial Boards for Biological Psychiatry, and the Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry.

In 2002, Dr. Faraone was inducted into the CHADD Hall of Fame in recognition of outstanding achievement in medicine and education research on attention disorders and in 2004 and 2008 he was elected to the Vice Presidency of the International Society of Psychiatric Genetics. In 2008, he received the SUNY Upstate President's Award for Excellence and Leadership in Research. In 2009 he was awarded Alumni Fellow status at the University of Iowa. In 2010 he received the Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities from the State University of New York.